Anthony Quinn Warner, a top Nashville bomber, was a conspiracy theorist about 5G networks – and thought he would “become a hero” because he targeted a large AT&T network.
The 63-year-old loner – who died in his massive suicide bombing on Christmas Day – may have turned against the telecommunications industry after the death of his father in 2011, who worked for a company that later merged with AT&T, a source close to told the investigation to the Daily Mail.
He apparently had “many conspiracy theories”, especially for fear that 5G networks would kill people, the source said.
“The unofficial motive so far is that the suspect believes that 5G is the root of all deaths in the region and that he will become a hero,” the source said.
“We are waiting for the digital footprint that will eventually provide answers,” the source explained after a raid on Warner’s home in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville.
His father, Charles B. Warner, worked his career at BellSouth, which was acquired by AT&T in 2006, the report said. The father, nicknamed Popeye, died in July 2011 of dementia at the age of 78.
The bomber may have also died before his attack, after telling an ex-girlfriend that he had cancer, according to the New York Times.
He gave that ex a car and also recorded the deeds to at least two houses – one just before Thanksgiving – before his devastating attack.
In addition to destroying businesses in the historic downtown area, the blast at 6:30 a.m. caused a major disruption in communications systems that darkened even 911 centers in several surrounding provinces.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said Sunday the bombing appeared to be an “infrastructure attack” aimed at the AT&T building.
“For all of us locally, it feels like there has to be a connection to the AT&T facility and the site of the bombing,” Cooper said. tells CBS News ” Face the Nation. ”
“It must have something to do with the infrastructure,” he said.
Experts also warn that the attack showed clear vulnerability in Amercia’s telecommunications industry.
“I think it’s a wake-up call and a warning to all of us about how vulnerable our infrastructure is, how relatively easy it is for a single individual to do so,” said Frank Figliuzzi, former assistant director of counterintelligence at the FBI, tells “Face The Nation.”